


Frozen Interstice

by SirenAlpha



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27600224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirenAlpha/pseuds/SirenAlpha
Summary: Katara gets why the Northern Water Tribe kept Zuko prisoner after the Siege, but he just seems to cause more problems than solutions. He refuses to give up any information on the Fire Nation Navy, and the only reason to keep him alive and well is in the hope of a future Fire Lord that's better than the current one. Katara finds that hard to believe, and it's a claim that only works if he doesn't remain a prisoner.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 93





	1. Blood

**Author's Note:**

> So this fic is a bit of a spiritual successor to [Chances and Opportunities](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15147821) by which I mean the politics get turned up a couple notches. It's just at the end of season 1 this time and not season 2. 
> 
> Also, heads up going into the chapter, there is blood because I'm basically saying Zuko gets captured due to his injuries.

Katara jumps when a hand lands on her shoulder. She looks up, “Yugoda, you scared me.”

“We need your help confirming the identity of one of the Fire Nation men, and I may need your help healing him,” she says. “It has been a long night.”

Katara nods, “I’ll come.”

All she wants to do now that the siege has ended is to find a bed and sleep. She had only fought Zuko during the siege, but after it she had been collected to help with the healing. She had been given the more minor wounds to help treat so that the more experienced, adult and elder women could take the more difficult cases. She wondered how important or how bad off this Fire Nation soldier was for them to dedicate what energy they had left to him over their own tribesmen.

She follows Yugoda, curiosity getting the better of her as they leave the healing huts for the palace’s cells. A waterbending guard opens a door in the ice to a cell for them.

“Here he is,” Yugoda says.

Katara looks at the unconscious man on the furs in the cell and gasps.

“We believe he is Crown Prince Zuko, but we needed confirmation and know you have crossed paths with him before,” Yugoda says, looking at her. “I gather from your reaction, this is him.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely him,” she says, looking at his scar.

When she looks away from the scar, she can see why Yugoda would want extra hands. The bruising, brutal and purple on his face, is still there, but he looks paler than he had even in the blizzard. He matches the ice, even starting to take on a bluish hue, and she’s certain that isn’t healthy even with his unnaturally pale skin.

“Let’s begin,” Yugoda says, pulling water from the ice of the cell to circle her hands before kneeling down.

Katara follows her lead. She has learned enough to see that Yugoda’s first pass over Zuko with her healing water is just to assess his injuries. Yugoda looks up with concern.

“How badly did you fight?” she asks. “You would thrash and unnecessarily harm an opponent clearly weaker than you?”

“I didn’t!” she insists defensively. “He beat _me_ the first time and took Aang. The second time I only hit him once. We even brought him back instead of leaving him outside of the city.”

“Katara,” she says, serious and grim. “He has broken ribs and much bruising.”

“He was bruised before he even fought me,” she says, less hotly.

Yugoda sighs. “This land is harsh towards firebenders. It has been our greatest protection, but we need him well enough to survive to answer Chief Arnook’s questions. I’ll need your strength.”

Katara nods again. She didn’t care for Zuko or what happened to him, but this was for her sister tribe, possibly her own tribe as well. “I’ll help however I can.”

She puts her hands over Zuko’s chest and adds her water and chi to Yugoda’s. The moment Yugoda presses forward to start healing the wounds, Zuko jerks upright, suddenly awake.

Katara moves back to get room to attack as Yugoda startles and flinches back. Zuko doesn’t attack though. He makes a noise between a cough and retching and blood begins to dribble down from his lips.

“He’s punctured a lung most likely,” Yugoda tells Katara before focusing on Zuko. “Lie back, please, lie back.”

Zuko takes a slow, weak breath in and it sounds like barely any air is passing through into his lungs, wheezing and choked. “Can’t…breathe.”

“We can help you breathe if you lie back,” Yugoda says, and Zuko spits out more blood before she can maneuver him back down to the furs. “Help, quickly.”

Katara adds her hands and chi again. She can feel Zuko glaring at them as they begin their work on his chest. Katara isn’t good enough to truly see Yugoda’s work, can only tell that things are starting to look better and that Yugoda is guiding some of her chi to help with the work.

“This may hurt,” Yugoda says in warning then there’s a snapping sound as things move back into place.

Zuko starts making a pained noise before biting down on it. Katara finds herself impressed as she’s heard men scream over righting dislocated fingers and limbs let alone putting broken bone back into place. Zuko pants, and it must have helped as his breaths are deeper and there is no wheeze. They still sound disturbingly wet. She chances a glance at his face and feels sickened by how starkly his dark red blood stands against his white chin and nearly bloodless lips.

Then his breathing changes again. His breaths become deep and even, purposeful. He warms under her hands and then his chi flares as he exhales flames. Looking at his face, she can see that some of his color has returned, that he’s no longer fading closer to hypothermia.

“How did you do that?” Yugoda asks.

Zuko gives her a look. “With firebending.”

“You activated your chi everywhere in your body nearly at once to warm yourself. It could make healing you easier.”

“Firebending doesn’t heal,” he argues. “It burns.”

“Yes, but you have great mastery over your chi which means you can use it to aid us rather than resist us.”

“Why would I want to do that?” he asks.

“Hey, we just stopped you from coughing up more blood,” Katara points out. The blood on his chin is still there though now it has dried to a flat red-brown.

“Please,” Yugoda says. “Your fears are reasonable. Not all healers are willing to help the enemy, but we need you alive. Chief Arnook seeks information on your navy’s attack.”

Zuko scowls. “So he’d have you heal me so he can torture me later for information.”

Katara freezes, wondering if that’s really the case. She looks up to check with Yugoda and sees that she’s just as shocked as she is.

“No, we don’t torture prisoners. The cold seems to do it for us which is why he wants you healed. We get nothing if you’re dead,” Yugoda says.

“Fine, heal me then,” he says dismissively, but permission is permission.

Healing Zuko is not like healing waterbenders. Katara hasn’t healed that many waterbenders to know their chi intimately, but Zuko’s chi burns as fiercely as he does. It seems to hover and stand guard as Yugoda heals and Katara assists, neither resisting or aiding them. Every so often, she feels it flare with warmth as he breathes out flames.

They finish when they have healed the worst of his injuries with what energy they have left. He still has a lot of bruising left and his ribs will take time to heal fully, but he no longer has any internal injuries and is not at risk of deteriorating.

“Thank you, Katara,” Yugoda says when she pulls her hands back.

Zuko says nothing, only glares at her with blood still on his chin.

“I suspect Chief Arnook will call upon you soon, Prince Zuko,” Yugoda says as she gets to her feet. “Prepare yourself.”

He doesn’t respond to her either, and they leave.

Katara gets to return to their guest room after, and she finds Aang there already asleep. Sokka is missing from his sleeping bag, but she has no energy to search for him. She curls into her sleeping bag and sleeps like the dead.

The next morning, she moves to join the other women in the healing huts, but she’s instead told by a guardsman that Chief Arnook has requested her presence along with Aang and Sokka. The guard leads them to a room in the main palace, but it’s not the grand hall where they had met with Chief Arnook and the other elders of the Northern Water Tribe previously. This room is much smaller, meant for functionality rather than intimidation and splendor.

“Thank you for joining us,” Chief Arnook says as they enter. He seems to have aged greatly over the course of the siege and Yue’s death. “You are the only ones here with previous experience dealing with Crown Prince Zuko. We’d like your help in judging the veracity of his statements.”

“Of course,” Aang says, trying to be as cheerful and helpful as he normally is, but falling short.

“What exactly do you want to know from him?” Sokka asks, more skeptical of the whole proceedings.

“Whatever we can get,” Chief Arnook says with a sigh. “He may not know much due to his banishment, but he must know something seeing as he was part of the invading force. If nothing else, we can gain insight into how his father thinks.”

“Banished?” Sokka asks. “Since when?”

“For two, well, nearly three years now,” Chief Arnook says. “You didn’t know?”

“We don’t exactly get a lot of news down south,” Sokka says.

“What was he banished for?” Katara asks, wondering what crime was great enough to cast out a crown prince.

Chief Arnook shrugs. “We’ve only heard rumors, that he was lazy and ungrateful, unfit for his duties.”

Katara shares a skeptical look with Sokka and Aang.

Sokka says. “Those rumors are wrong. Zuko’s anything but lazy.”

“I gathered they weren’t accurate from his appearance here. Crown Prince Zuko must capture the Avatar to lift his banishment,” Chief Arnook tells them. “No man so lazy as to get banished for it follows an impossible target into a landscape and among a people hostile to him. Crown Prince Zuko is either a very determined man or a very desperate one.”

“That explains a lot,” Aang says, “If he can’t go home without capturing me.”

“It may not be about going home,” Chief Arnook says gravely. “Fire Nation nobles and especially their royalty are known for their violent and power hungry nature. Crown Prince Zuko may not have formally lost his title, but he has a younger sister who could claim the throne in his absence.”

Katara can guess which one he’s after, and scowls. She didn’t even know he had a sister, but it sounds like him to treat his own sister like someone in his way.

“We’ll help however we can,” Sokka says.

“Thank you,” he says, giving them a nod.

The chief and the other elders settle on raised, ice platforms in the back of the room like they had in the main hall. Katara, Sokka, and Aang all take seats on the side of the room on furs on the ground as is appropriate for guest witnesses. Zuko gets escorted in by two waterbending guards and his hands are shackled together in metal. He’s been cleaned up and given new clothes, not nice ones, but ones at least more appropriate for the temperature than the white outfit he’d been captured in.

“Crown Prince Zuko, welcome,” Chief Arnook says, the tension in his voice the only sign that this is not a normal audience.

“Chief Arnook,” Zuko says, forming his hands into the flame as best he can in the shackles before bowing. Then, he kneels down onto the bare ice and sits on his own legs instead of standing as is proper for this sort of audience. Everyone seems to stare at him for a moment. Zuko doesn’t seem to notice, sitting with his back straight and staring right back at the chief and the elders despite now being below their eye level.

“What can you tell us of Admiral Zhao’s plans?” Chief Arnook asks.

“Nothing,” Zuko says easily.

“You were part of the invasion, were you not?” an elder asks.

“No, I was not.”

“Then how did you enter the city if you were not part of the invasion?” he asks.

“I found my own way in,” he says, surprisingly cryptic for him and his usual straightforward yelling of demands.

“And how did you do that?” a different elder asks derisively.

“I followed some turtle seals.”

“Are you perhaps not understanding the severity of the situation, Crown Prince Zuko?” Chief Arnook asks with a frown. “We have treated you well, and all we ask in return is your honesty. Without it, we cannot continue this conversation or discuss the terms of your stay here.”

Zuko’s face hardens. “I have answered every one of your questions, and you have received only my honesty.”

“You truly knew nothing of Admiral Zhao’s plans?” Chief Arnook asks.

“No, I knew nothing, just the number and heading of his fleet,” he answers.

“I find that hard to believe,” one of the elders said with a scoff. “You’re the crown prince.”

“That does not make me privy to the plans or inner workings of the admiralty,” he retorts. “I have no rank.”

“You command a ship, do you not?” Chief Arnook asks.

“I do not, and even when I did, it was not considered part of the fleet although my crew was considered part of the navy.”

“What happened to your ship?” an elder asks.

“Zhao blew it up,” he answers. “You can see why he may have decided not to share his invasion plans with me.”

Katara shares a look with Sokka and Aang. An admiral attempting to kill a prince didn’t seem likely to her, even if he had been banished. Sokka looks suspicious still, but Aang doesn’t look surprised at all, just distressed. She frowns and looks back to Zuko.

“So you have no idea what Admiral Zhao’s plans had been or what your nation’s navy intends to do next?” Chief Arnook asks tiredly.

“No, I knew nothing, and I can only make guesses as to what will happen next,” Zuko says, frowning.

A few of the elders sigh and shake their heads in disappointment. Katara assumes that they wanted Zuko alive specifically because they thought he had knowledge of whether the Fire Nation might attack again despite being so thoroughly routed.

“Give us your best guess then,” Chief Arnook says.

“Attention will likely be turned back towards the Earth Kingdom.”

Neither the chief nor any of the elders seem impressed by this lack of information. Honestly, Katara doesn’t know why they think Zuko would know anything. He’s been following them all over the world to the exclusion of all else. When would he have had time to meet with the military leaders, especially if he can’t go home and doesn’t have access to their meetings?

“Crown Prince Zuko, we have extended kindness and hospitality on your behalf by healing you,” Chief Arnook says, his gaze beginning to sharpen towards a glare at the prince. “We are only asking you return such kindness as you are our guest when your own people have attacked us.”

Zuko glowers back at him. “I don’t need to trade you information for my safety. _You_ want me alive.”

“And why would that be?” he asks, sounding like he’s just humoring Zuko.

“Because no man lives forever, and I have a younger sister who is a prodigious firebender and has been directly under my father’s tutelage for around six years now,” he says. “In case you’re unclear on what sort of man my father is, he did know Zhao’s plan. A major siege such as this with so many vessels would have required approval, and Zhao would have had to explain his intentions to kill the Moon Spirit to justify sending so many ships to your lands during your winter.”

One of the elders curses while Chief Arnook shakes his head. It takes Katara a moment to realize that Zuko is saying that his sister would take after their father in how he wages war. She doesn’t think that guarantees he will be any different from his father though. She’s seen him tear through every obstacle, brutal and unrelenting in his goal to capture Aang. Then she thinks of Zhao, how much worse he was than Zuko in all aspects from trying to kill the Moon Spirit and end the world as they knew it to being so careless and poorly disciplined as to set his own ships on fire.

“That desire is dependent on how you differentiate yourself which we could more easily see if you spoke freely,” Chief Arnook cajoles him.

“And risk the lives of my people in the process? No,” Zuko says scowling.

Katara feels her stomach unsettle at that. She didn’t want the Fire Nation to win, for them to come back and kill even more of her sister people after all they had done to the world. Still, she’d had to wake up when she realized that stopping the Fire Nation meant someone would still have to die. She, horrifyingly, could even respect Zuko for this, acting like a leader and protecting his own people even if it meant risking his personal safety. She hates herself a little that it makes her think of Yue.

“You must give us something to work with, Crown Prince Zuko,” Chief Arnook insists.

“I don’t think I need to. Isn’t my banishment enough sign of the difference between my father and me?” he asks.

Katara can hear the bitterness and anger in his words. None of the elders look satisfied with Zuko’s reasoning. Chief Arnook glances over to Katara, Sokka, and Aang. Katara just doesn’t think they have anything to give them. Zuko didn’t seem to be lying, but that didn’t make him actually different from his father.

Zuko follows Chief Arnook’s gaze over to them, and he glares at Aang. Zuko always looks angry given the nature of his scar, but this is different than the sort of angry determination he normally looked at Aang with. This is much more hate filled. It sends a shiver up Katara’s spine, and she’s not even on the receiving end of it.

Zuko focuses his glare back on Chief Arnook. “I would have never condoned involving the spirits in warfare. Perhaps I’m not the only one who needs to consider how similar they are to my father.”

His words start an uproar amongst the elders. It takes Chief Arnook a few moments to quiet them. He says, “I did not condone the use of spirits.”

“Didn’t you?” Zuko asks. “You asked the Avatar for help. You gave him access to your sacred waters where spirits reside in the physical realm.”

Katara frowns because Chief Arnook had not asked for that though he had asked for the spirits of the moon and ocean to be with them and for Aang to help fight back. It was Yue who had brought Aang to the spirit oasis.

“Admiral Zhao began the attack on the Moon Spirit-,”

“Admiral Zhao sent men! Men you could have stopped with your own might and himself among them,” Zuko spits, rising to his feet. “You sent back a monster, a spirit fed on the Avatar’s spiritual power which my people had no means of defending themselves against. No, I will not give you any information on our navy, and I think I’ve made it clear where I stand.”

The elders sit in stunned silence while Zuko stands, trembling in his fury. Chief Arnook seems to recover first, letting out a low, tired sigh.

“Very well. We can work out the terms of your imprisonment if you’ll sit down,” he says.

Zuko stares at him in shocked confusion. After a moment, he kneels unsteadily back down to his former seated position.

Katara quickly loses track of the conversation as the elders discuss mostly among themselves in quiet tones about what to do with Zuko. She ends up watching Zuko as the elders continue to debate. His hands are clenched tight in his lap, and he stares intently into the ice in front of him.

“Crown Prince Zuko,” Chief Arnook eventually says at a louder volume, drawing Zuko’s gaze back to him. “We have decided to take you at your word. If you swear not to harm any of our people or attempt to capture the Avatar, you may move freely about the palace without any bindings under the watch of Master Pakku. If you break your word, you will be bound in metal and placed back into a prison cell. Do you agree to our terms?”

Zuko mulls over the offer. Katara notices that there isn’t a time limit to the terms. She wonders how long they can keep Zuko for if part of keeping him alive is to someday see him on the Fire Nation throne. She doubts Zuko is even capable of staying put like a good boy with Aang so close at hand.

“Before I give my answer, I have a question,” Zuko says, more cautiously than Katara has ever heard him speak.

“Yes?”

“What has been done to the bodies of my people?”

Katara gets a sinking feeling as she understands the reason behind Zuko’s sudden quiet tone. She doesn’t even know what has become of her sister tribesmen’s bodies in the aftermath. Her first duties had been to those still living. Zuko is the only Fire Nation injured she’s seen.

“Nothing,” Chief Arnook answers plainly.

Rage contorts Zuko’s face again. “Nothing?”

“Mind your tone, young man,” one of the elders counters. “We barely have enough healthy men to deal with our own dead.”

Zuko scowls, but nonetheless takes a deep breath in and lets it out. Katara wonders if it’s her imagination that what he breathed out was something other than water vapor in the cold. He raises his head, the same determined look on his face she was used to returned. “I’ll agree to your terms if I can see that my people’s bodies are cremated.”

“We have no means for cremating bodies,” Chief Arnook says, frowning.

“I can do it myself,” Zuko insists.

The elders share a look amongst themselves, and Katara wonders how many bodies there are. Not all of the Fire Nation ships had been close to the city.

“You may try. Master Pakku will still need to observe you while you tend to the bodies of your people, but we will allow it as the only exception for leaving the palace.”

Zuko nods. “I agree to your terms.”

Katara then wonders what she and Aang will do for training if Master Pakku will be guarding Zuko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Katara: wow Zuko's so angry he's trembling  
> Zuko: here's to the other half of my face getting frozen off
> 
> I think it's a shame the show never covered Zuko's opinion on koizilla. I know he was distracted with fighting Zhao at the time, but still. I like to think Azula would be proud of Zuko threatening the NWT with her as Fire Lord.
> 
> This story is fully written, but the other two chapters need editing so they'll go up when I get that done. Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is known as the chapter where _I_ spit blood because of canon Water Tribe clothes and architecture. With the Earth Kingdom you can justify things as it got simplified for animation, but that does not work for the Water Tribes. The only pass is having hoods down/hats off so you can see faces and hairstyles even though it'd freeze your ears off in real life.
> 
> That said, nobody in the Water Tribes should be wearing cloth even if you're assuming extra Chinese influence from the Earth Kingdom. No one should have gloves instead of mittens. They especially shouldn't have their sleeping area sunken into the ground like they do in the guest house because heat rises. 
> 
> Anyways, I do my best to mix canon with what would be more realistic because that's a thing that I do.

“I don’t trust him,” Sokka says the next morning.

“Him who?” Katara asks.

“Zuko, obviously,” he says, crossing his arms. “Just because he said he wouldn’t capture Aang doesn’t mean he’ll actually do it. We know he never stops.”

“So what are you going to do?” Aang asks. “They already have Master Pakku watching him, and he’s the best waterbender they have.”

“I’m going to help. Pakku might be a great waterbender, but he doesn’t know Zuko like we do. I’m not going to fail again.”

“I wonder what’s going to happen with our lessons now that he’s watching Zuko,” Katara says. “I still have more healing to do, but that won’t last forever. We’ve already handled the worst of the injuries, and there’s nothing we can do for bone beyond setting it.”

“I guess Zuko will just have to tag along,” Aang suggests with a shrug.

“No!” Sokka shouts too loudly for their living space. “We can’t let the enemy know secrets about our bending!”

“Oh, so now you care about bending,” Katara says.

“Hey, I’d just rather give Zuko as few advantages as possible,” he says. “He’s bad enough without Chief Arnook letting him roam around unshackled.”

“What do you think he’s going to do?” she asks. “Learn how to waterbend? Last I checked, Aang was still the Avatar.”

“No, but I don’t want him to learn how to counter waterbending either.”

Katara frowns because that is a good point. Zuko has already beaten her once after she’d received training. She wouldn’t be able to gain the edge if he watched her learn her new moves. She doesn’t like letting Sokka win arguments though. It gets to his head too easily. Then again, watching Zuko would keep him busy from his grief.

Sokka heads to the palace while Katara returns to the healing huts, and Aang heads down to the entrance of the city to lend a hand to the rebuilding as he had been since the battle. He has no talent for healing, and no training for building, but he can help in moving the amounts of water needed for rebuilding the larger structures. More experienced waterbenders could then more finely shape it and strengthen it.

Katara starts on the smaller wounds and the final touches of larger ones the other women had already seen and mostly healed. She has learned much during her time healing in the aftermath of the battle, but she’s glad to see there isn’t anyone else to tend to by mid-afternoon. Whatever injuries are left are ones that must be healed on their own and with time.

“Katara,” Yugoda calls to her as she prepares to leave. “I’d like to check on Crown Prince Zuko again. Will you come with me?”

“Sure,” she says, pulling up her hood and figuring she can meet up with Sokka if he’s kept to his promise of watching Zuko.

Yugoda starts towards the palace, but when Katara looks at the sky, she can see a large plume of smoke. She remembers what Zuko said about caring for the bodies of his people. “Yugoda, I don’t think Zuko’s at the palace.”

“Why wouldn’t he be?” she asks. “I thought he was imprisoned there.”

“He was given permission to cremate the bodies of his people under Master Pakku’s watch.”

Yugoda looks to the sky, eyes trained on the smoke trail. “Very well. Let’s see that he hasn’t overworked himself.”

Katara nods though she doesn’t actually care if he has or not. She follows Yugoda, feeling nervous about seeing a cremation. Then, she smells the burning of flesh and hair as they’re approaching. She feels sick to her stomach to continue towards the smell, but she’s not going to abandon Yugoda.

When they enter the open area near the waterfront where the bodies must have been previously gathered, Katara sees that her brother looks just as nauseous as she feels. Still, he stands next to Master Pakku who looks surprisingly solemn. Zuko stands away from them, his northern style hoodless qulittaq cast off, and his hand outstretched over a mass of flames where the smell originates. They seem to have gathered what stones they could so Zuko could cremate the bodies without melting all the ice they stood on. On one side of Zuko lies the bodies of the Fire Nation soldiers and the other, empty armor.

Yugoda silently takes a spot beside Master Pakku so Katara stands beside her. The heat is immense even from several feet away. She hadn’t realized how much heat cremation took. How does Zuko create such heat?

Zuko drops his hand, and the flames disappear almost immediately. Katara sees nothing but ash on the stones. He steps back from the pile of stones, and then Master Pakku bends water over the rocks to sweep the ashes out to sea.

“Crown Prince Zuko,” Yugoda says.

Zuko startles then turns towards them, scowl already on his face. “Master Waterbender,” he says, giving her a bow with his hands folded into the shape of the flame.

Yugoda laughs. “I’m not a master waterbender. I’m only a healer.”

Zuko’s scowl deepens.

“I’m here to check on your injuries if you’ll allow me.”

Zuko casts a glance over them, from Sokka to Master Pakku to Katara, before looking back to Yugoda. He nods, “You may.”

“It’ll be easier if you sit,” she says, and Master Pakku creates a seat out of the ice for him.

Zuko gives it a suspicious look before carefully sitting on it. Yugoda draws water up from the ice around them to examine Zuko’s chest then back. Katara can only watch her hands at this distance, but at some point her hands move from cursory checking to genuine healing. They had not healed Zuko completely before, and Katara suspects she’s now finishing the job.

“You are worn out. You must rest,” she says when she finally pulls away and lets the water drop.

Zuko rounds on her with a scowl, but says nothing as she raises a hand.

“You are recovering from rather severe injuries to be doing something as strenuous as this. It is quickly depleting your chi. You may be warm from the heat you create, but you are still in the North Pole, boy. The sunlight is not as strong here as in your country. You will not be able to replenish your chi as you are used to.”

“I’m used to nothing,” he says, continuing to scowl. “I have traveled the world, including many regions that are cold. I have duties to attend to.”

“The dead can wait. Your injuries will not. You will hamper your own ability to complete your duties if you do not rest, at least for the rest of the day.”

“Fine,” he agrees grumpily.

“Good,” she says with a calm smile. “Now, where’s your hat?”

“He didn’t want to wear it,” Master Pakku tells her.

“Oh,” she says, rounding on Zuko. “You’ll get frostbite on your ears at this rate. You don’t even have any hair to cover them. Make sure you wear one tomorrow.”

Zuko looks like he’s about to argue, but she fixes him with a stern look.

“I will,” he promises instead.

He goes and picks up his abandoned qulittaq then picks up something else from the snow. She gets a better look at them as he approaches Master Pakku. They’re necklaces made of metal with engraved metal pendants hanging from them. He asks, “Is there a way for me to send messages?”

“Who do you need to send messages to?” Sokka asks, suspicious.

“Their families since their commanding officer is unavailable to do so,” he snaps at her brother.

“You know these men?” Master Pakku asks.

“Not personally,” he says then raises the necklaces. “But I have their tags.”

“Tags?” 

“Yes, they have their names, rank, and regiment on there for identification,” he explains then reaches under the collar of his atigi to reveal he’s wearing one as well. “No one leaves the islands without one.”

Katara stares at him, getting that same sick feeling she had when smelling the fire. This is what becomes of you when you fight wars so far from your home and your people. You tag yourself like a polar bear-dog in preparation for your own death when no one will know who you are by your own face. Even their prince could be expected to die nameless and unrecognizable.

“We do, but I’m afraid any messages we send will not be received by the Fire Nation,” Master Pakku says. “Even communication with the Earth Kingdom is faulty at times given the Fire Nation’s habit of shooting our messenger birds on sight.”

Zuko’s scowl seems to deepen. “Then I’ll find some other way.”

“What other way?” Sokka asks. “You gonna send it in a bottle? We just told you birds don’t work.”

“No, I’ll borrow your lemur,” he snaps.

Katara says. “Momo isn’t a messenger, and even if he was, he wouldn’t be available for your use.”

“I wasn’t actually going to use the lemur. He can’t actually fly. He’d drown before he made landfall which makes him worse than useless,” he says, glaring at her.

“Hey,” Katara and Sokka both snap at him.

“I think that’s enough yelling for one day, and the prince needs to return to the palace before his ears freeze,” Master Pakku says. “Katara, if you would be so kind as to find Aang and spar with him in my stead. He still needs to practice.”

“Fine,” she says with a huff and storms away. Aang’s better company than Zuko anyways. She rids herself of her annoyance by the time she finds Aang. She’s in a much better mood for training and teaching him.

Then he ruins the mood by asking, “How’s Zuko?”

“Why do you wanna know?” she asks, doing her best to keep her annoyance out of her voice. It doesn’t really work.

“Because I kind of feel bad for what happened. I wanted to stop the Fire Nation, but not like that. He was right. I _killed_ people letting the Ocean Spirit take control of me, and they had no chance of stopping me. How’s that fair or right?” he asks, sitting down on the ice.

“Don’t let what Zuko said get to you,” she says. “He’s just angry he’s on the losing side again.”

“He’s not. He was right, and he’s not all bad,” Aang says, shaking his head.

“He is. He’s Fire Nation. He’s the _prince_ of the Fire Nation,” she insists, putting her hands on her hips.

“He rescued me once, from Zhao. When you and Sokka got sick and I went to look for medicine, I got caught by Zhao. I really thought I was going to get taken to the Fire Lord. Zuko got me out, and I know he did it for selfish reasons, but he practically let me go after,” he says. “He was right, and even if he wasn’t, I would still know what I did was terrible. What do I do to make this up? How can I be the Avatar and make peace and create balance if I just get overwhelmed like that?”

Katara doesn’t know what to think of Aang’s story or how to answer his questions. So she sighs and sits down beside him. “I don’t know, Aang. I thought it was amazing at the time, but you’re right. It was awful what happened to you.”

Aang looks at her with a frown. “It was also awful for the people I hurt. The people I killed. I can’t do anything to bring them back or make it okay. They’re dead! I don’t even remember it properly. I just remember feeling so angry, and that it was terrible.”

Katara puts a hand on his shoulder because she doesn’t know what to say. After a few moments of silence, she tries, “Zuko wants to send word to his soldiers’ families, but apparently the Northern Water Tribe messenger birds are killed by the Fire Nation. Maybe you can help him find a way around that.”

She doesn’t really care about Zuko’s feelings or those soldier’s families, but it might help Aang feel better.

“Maybe,” he says, but he doesn’t sound very happy.

Katara takes a while to fall asleep that night, the memory of the monster Aang and the Ocean Spirit had become plaguing her. Admitting to herself that Aang and Zuko were right about this. That killing people that way was wrong even if they were Fire Nation and attacking. That she didn’t have a solution for it or Aang. It had happened, and they would have to live with it. 

The following day, Katara went with Aang to help the builders reconstruct the walls and houses that had been damaged. It was taxing work, but in a much different way than healing had been. Throughout the day, she kept an eye on the plume of smoke from Zuko cremating the remains of his people. Thankfully, she couldn’t smell it from the distance, but she also wondered if Yugoda would make him stop again.

After a few days, there was no longer smoke in the sky, and the builders had no more use for Katara and Aang.

“We can’t do nothing,” Katara tells Aang when he starts to head towards the stables and Appa. “You still need to master water, and we have a deadline.”

“But Master Pakku is watching over Zuko,” he whines.

“He’ll just have to find a way to do both,” she says, leading the way up to the palace. She checks behind her to make sure Aang is following. He does, but slowly.

Katara has to ask around the palace to find where Master Pakku and Zuko are. She finds them a few floors up in a set of chambers that had once been used for visiting dignitaries back when the Northern Water Tribe had had open borders. She pushes back the curtain and finds the room beautiful. Like their guest house, the floor had been covered in furs for warmth and comfort, but this room had far more decoration than just curtains and a couple wall hangings. The room had an Earth Kingdom bed for one thing, and she couldn’t imagine how old it was. There were several ivory and bone statues clearly meant to impress guests with the artists’ skill in depicting the northern wildlife.

Her eye catches on a smaller statue depicting Tui and La in their koi forms sitting on an imported wooden desk, and the reminder of Yue stings. The tags of the Fire Nation soldiers lie beside the statue, and she doesn’t know if it’s fitting that they should lie beside a depiction of the spirit that killed them or insulting to the spirit they had sought to kill. She shakes off the morbid thoughts and focuses on her task.

Master Pakku and Zuko sit across from each other at another imported wooden table playing a game of pai sho with Sokka watching on in boredom.

Zuko glances up at them then back to the board and says, “Can you get your brother to leave us alone?”

“This is important work,” Sokka says. “Someone has to keep an eye on you.”

“Someone already is,” Zuko says, eyes still on the board.

“He is rather annoying,” Master Pakku says, also focused on the board and completely ignoring Sokka’s affronted look.

“You’re losing badly,” Aang says to Zuko after looking over the board.

“Did you think I’ve been playing pai sho this whole time? It’s Uncle’s hobby, not mine,” he says, making a move.

Katara doesn’t know the game at all, but the wince from Aang suggests Zuko has made a poor move.

Master Pakku makes a move then announces, “You lose.”

Zuko sighs while Sokka crows and says, “You suck at this.”

“You don’t even know how to play,” Zuko snaps at him.

“I know you’ve lost every round,” Sokka says.

“But you are improving,” Master Pakku says then turns to Katara and Aang. “What brings you here?”

“Aang still needs to learn waterbending, and I haven’t finished my training either,” she says.

Master Pakku nods then glances over at Zuko. He looks back challengingly. Master Pakku makes a considering noise. “I don’t suppose Chief Arnook would appreciate us destroying his palace, but there is a back ‘garden’ of sorts we could use to practice while claiming that it’s still part of the palace. I suppose you won’t mind getting a chance to go outside after a few days inside, will you, Prince Zuko?”

Zuko makes something almost like a smile. He then turns to Sokka and says, “Time to make yourself useful.”

“I’ve been useful this whole time,” he retorts. “Wait, what are we doing?”

“They’re going to be busy with lessons so we are going to spar, hand to hand,” Zuko says, getting to his feet. “You must know something if you’ve survived so long given how pathetic your attacks were at the beginning.”

“They were not!” Sokka says, jumping to his feet. “Besides, I’ve gotten better, and you’re a firebender anyways.”

“Prove it then,” Zuko says, causing Sokka to growl.

“Not until we’re outside,” Master Pakku says as he rises more calmly to his feet.

Katara and Aang have to wait as Master Pakku, Sokka, and Zuko have to put on their qulittaq and mittens. Zuko also has his hat to put on to protect his head and neck. Zuko’s face nearly blends in with the white fur trim of the hat aside from his scar.

“Wait, you still have broken ribs,” Katara remembers as they’re leaving the room.

“It’s fine. It’s been over a week,” Zuko says.

“That is not enough time to be healed enough for sparring,” she says because Yugoda kept telling her about how long it takes bone to heal, and it will annoy him. “Yugoda will have your head.”

“Not if she doesn’t know,” he says.

Moving quickly, Katara jabs him in the side where his broken ribs are. She doesn’t really hit him all that hard, but it’s very satisfying that he hisses and doubles over in pain anyways. She can hear him saying something under his breath, and she’s pretty sure it’s all swearing. He glares at her fiercely.

“I suggest you refrain from attempting to spar, Prince Zuko,” Master Pakku says flatly.

“Yeah, you’re definitely not going to be winning anything in that state,” Sokka says smugly.

“I beat your sister in worse condition,” Zuko tells him.

“No fighting,” Katara says in her best healer voice. It’s not as good as Yugoda’s.

Zuko scoffs, but ultimately listens. When they reach the ‘garden,’ an area much like the front of the palace except with more ice sculptures, he takes a seat off to the side beside Sokka. Katara gives Sokka a look and tilts her head towards Zuko, meaning he should be distracting the prince from watching. Sokka just gives her a confused look back and shrugs. She sighs and turns away. She’ll just have to hope Zuko gets bored and doesn’t pay attention. 

Katara stands with Aang to continue her training with Master Pakku while ignoring their small audience. Master Pakku begins with her, picking up seamlessly from where they had left off before the siege. Katara is then left on her own to practice while Master Pakku gives Aang more one on one attention. Despite his initial ease, he’s now lagging far behind her due to his lack of focus.

This continues for some time until Zuko asks, “This is it?”

“Excuse me?” Katara asks, responding sharply to his aggressive tone. He’s not even looking at her, instead glaring at Aang as he drops the water he’d been working with.

“This is what the Avatar is capable of? Did you master airbending by goofing off?” Zuko asks Aang.

“Uh,” Aang says inelegantly, looking to Master Pakku for guidance.

“You’re the Avatar. You have hundreds of reincarnations building a base for your talent in bending, and you’re squandering it. I feel bad for the people who think things will change because of your return. You have no sense of duty. Their one hope is a silly child surviving on luck, or are you planning on pathetically letting the spirits meddle in human affairs on your behalf again?”

“Hey,” Katara and Sokka snap at Zuko in unison. Sokka puts a hand on Zuko’s arm to pull him back, but Zuko brushes him off.

“I didn’t ask to be the Avatar,” Aang says in a small voice, looking down at the ground rather than meeting Zuko’s gaze.

“Nobody asks for their duty. You think any of us asked for this?” Zuko asks, gesturing broadly at all of them and everything around them. “I wasn’t even born crown prince like you were the Avatar, but I still do my duty.”

“Shut up,” Sokka says. “What does it even matter to you? I would have thought you’d want him to slack off.”

Zuko rounds on him. “I heard you are the son of a chief, is that true?”

Katara narrows her eyes at him. She had wondered if he had known who they were, but apparently he hadn’t known their family any better than they had known his.

“Yeah, what of it?” Sokka asks.

“So you should understand the value of a worthy opponent, who commits to his duty rather than taking short cuts,” Zuko says. “One who doesn’t rely on spirits to do his dirty work.”

Katara scowls at him, but there’s really nothing she can say against that. Between Zhao and Zuko, Katara would have to pick Zuko. They had been able to do nothing after Zhao had involved the spirits by killing the moon. It had taken Princess Yue’s sacrifice, her commitment to her own duty, that had righted the balance and calmed the Ocean Spirit. None of it had been achieved through Aang’s merit as the Avatar. Katara would say that Zuko is surprisingly principled, but as she’d previously determined, Zhao had always been worse.

Aang looks to her, small frown on his face and big puppy-seal eyes. She doesn’t have any words to comfort him.

“And what about your reliance on machines?” Sokka asks. “How is that fair?”

“We built and designed those machines ourselves. We didn’t ask the spirits to give them to us,” Zuko retorts. “You could have built them if you wanted to.”

“You really believe that?” Sokka asks derisively. “Metal comes from the ground, doesn’t it? Our ground is frozen. How could we ever dig up enough to do something like build a ship with it?”

Zuko scowls. “Maybe you couldn’t have, but the Earth Kingdom could have.”

“We’re not talking about the Earth Kingdom. We’re talking about the Fire Nation attacking the Water Tribe. Do you think it’s fair for you to use metal ships we can’t sink like you can sink our wooden ships to terrorize us?”

“We’re not terrorizing you. We’re trying to share our technology, and you refuse to accept it!”

Katara stares at him, wondering what he’s talking about, how he could think anything the Fire Nation does is anything other than terrorizing the other nations. You don’t take benders away to make a nation better.

“You’re insane,” Sokka says, clearly unable to find any way to attack a position so removed from reality.

“As fascinating as this discussion is, I am attempting to teach a lesson,” Master Pakku interrupts. Katara turns to find him watching Zuko’s reactions carefully. “If you wish to continue it, do so quietly and without interrupting my lesson.”

“My apologies, Master,” Zuko says, bowing to Master Pakku, “for interrupting your teaching.”

“Apology accepted. I think this has been a learning experience for all of us. Let’s continue, Aang.”

Aang nods and resumes his stance. Katara doesn’t start up again immediately, watching Zuko and Sokka instead to make sure they don’t try anything. Zuko shakes his head, faces the sun, and sits down in lotus position to begin meditating. Sokka catches her eye and gestures wordlessly at Zuko, fury on his face. She nods then shrugs. Zuko was infuriating, but it’s not like they hadn’t known that already. At least he listens to Master Pakku, and if he’s meditating, he’s not shouting or watching their lessons. 

Katara turns back to Aang to find him following Master Pakku’s lesson with far more focus and effort than he had ever shown before. Katara hadn’t expected that Zuko would be what got Aang to take his training seriously now rather than when he had been actively chasing after them. Everything just seems upside down. 

Sokka gets back at Zuko at the end of the lessons when they’re returning to the palace. “I keep telling you, you’ve got to brush all the snow off before you come inside. That’s caribou-elk you’re wearing. The fur’ll come off if you don’t do it properly.”

Katara has to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing, and from the corner of her eye, she can see Master Pakku trying to hide his smirk.

“I know,” Zuko snaps. “You harass me every time I try to go back inside.”

“Then why can’t you do it properly yet?” Sokka asks. 

Zuko growls, but he still brushes himself off again a second time even though he’d gotten the snow off the first time. “Happy now?”

Sokka circles him. “Yeah, you’re good.”

“Finally,” Zuko says before stomping into the palace.

“But he didn’t have any snow on him?” Aang asks.

He sounds so innocently confused about it that Katara can’t hold in her laughter.

“You can never be too careful,” Sokka says, amusement clear in his tone.

Aang considers this then bends the air around himself to clear off any snow even though he rarely had any snow stick to his fabric clothes. “Okay.”

“You’re good, Aang,” she tells him before heading inside herself.

That night, after they have extinguished the lamps and are preparing to sleep, Aang asks, “Do you think Princess Yue was wrong to take me to the Spirit Oasis?”

“No,” Sokka says fiercely. “How can you say that?”

“Well, if I hadn’t gone there to meditate I could have been fighting. I could have stopped Zhao from ever reaching the Oasis,” he says.

“I don’t know if that would have happened,” Katara says with a sigh. “Maybe if we hadn’t known about the Oasis we would have missed him entirely. Then it could have been much worse.”

“It’s not about that. It’s if it was the right decision to take me to the Spirit Oasis at all. We were intentionally doing what Zuko was talking about, trying to get something from the spirits to use to fight back against the Fire Nation Navy, taking a short cut.”

“So what? You’re saying Yue was wrong to do whatever she could to help her people to fight back?” Sokka asks, angrily. “That we should have just let the Fire Nation invade and kill us because they figured out how to build metal boats?”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” Aang says then takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly. “Even Monk Gyatso fought when it came to it. Airbending is still martial. Even more than that, as the Avatar, I have a duty to protect what balance is left in the world. I can’t just let the Fire Nation take over, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a right or a wrong way to do this.”

“And you think Princess Yue did it the wrong way?” Sokka asks aggressively.

“No, I think she was doing her best,” he says. “I think letting the Ocean Spirit take me over like that was wrong. She didn’t know that would happen, though, none of us did. I think the right thing to do is not let that happen again.”

The room remains silent, and Katara considers her own thoughts on this. The experience had clearly been terrible for Aang, and she didn’t want him to go through that ever again. She didn’t want him to become a weapon for the Water Tribe or the Earth Kingdom, as that was where they would have to go next. Still, she didn’t want to care about what the Fire Nation or its prince thought was fair to them. So what if the spirits hated them? They deserved it after what they had done to the world. If the Ocean Spirit wished to drown them for their crimes, was that not justice?

But spirits were not people. Katara remembers the stories of the spirits, how fickle they were in what they deemed a crime and what was a deserving punishment. The ocean could have just as easily turned on them due to their failure to protect the moon just as Hei Bei had turned on the nearest villagers who had done him no harm. There was a reason the Avatar was the bridge to the Spirit World rather than everyone having direct contact to spirits.

“What’s happened is done,” Katara says into the silence of the night. “I think the right thing to do is make sure Aang gets his training finished properly and not relying on spirits. It worked for us this time, but think about Hei Bei. They’re not people so we can’t rely on them the same way.”

“I agree,” Aang says, the relief apparent in his voice.

“Then what?” Sokka asks. “We let Zuko take over like he wants?”

“We can’t destroy the Fire Nation,” Aang says cautiously. “That won’t help with the balance. It won’t bring back what was lost.”

“I’m not saying we destroy them. I’m just saying, what happens after we defeat Fire Lord Ozai and stop the war? What kind of Fire Lord do we expect Zuko to be if we even can get him on the throne?”

Katara sighs because she doesn’t have an answer. She suspects Zuko genuinely is better than his father, and maybe even his sister, but that’s different than being good. What do they do if Zuko isn’t good enough?

“Well, it’s not like we can let his sister take the throne,” Aang says. “You heard what he said about her.”

“That’s only if he’s not lying about her,” Sokka says.

“He doesn’t have to lie about her,” Katara says. “We know she’s back home with Fire Lord Ozai. Why wouldn’t he be teaching her to follow in his footsteps? We know Zuko’s been separated from his father.”

Sokka frowns at her, not liking to be proved wrong. “Heritable positions are dumb. The Fire Nation should have been smarter and made it so they could just pick someone better who wouldn’t send them all off to war. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about Zuko or his sister at all. I’m glad we don’t do that.”

“Yeah,” Aang says. “Or have a group of people to lead. That way there’s always someone who can talk people out of any bad ideas.”

“Actually, that’s a good idea,” Katara says. “Zuko becomes Fire Lord, but there’s a council or something who can keep him from restarting the war.”

“Who do we pick for that then?” Aang asks.

They all consider it for a few moments.

“Nobody comes to mind,” Sokka admits sourly. “It might even be something they’ll ask you to do Aang.”

“Me?” he asks. “What am I supposed to be able to do?”

“You are the Avatar. You’re supposed to maintain balance,” Katara admits miserably. Aang as the Avatar would be a good choice to watch over Zuko as Fire Lord, but that doesn’t feel right or fair either. 

“But I’m learning bending,” he says. “I don’t know how to stop wars from starting.”

“Well, we’re not going to fix the problem tonight so let’s just sleep,” Sokka says.

“Okay,” Aang agrees, sounding a little relieved.

Katara sighs as she snuggles back into her sleeping bag. She hadn’t thought helping Aang would be like this. She’d thought arriving in the Northern Water Tribe and learning waterbending would make things clearer, not leave them arguing over what they’d done and what to do next. At least they could agree on sleeping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, igloos which are made of snow not ice are actually a lot warmer than buildings made of ice like modern ice hotels because of a lot of architectural features. Ice hotels which is more like what the Northern Water Tribe buildings look like do use snow, but they are still below freezing inside. I have visited one, and they literally tell you that you must either dance for an hour before going to bed or sit in a hot tub for 30 mins to be comfortable at night. That's not sustainable for long term living. What they have in the show is very much form over function so I did my best with what the show had which is not much. 
> 
> As for the clothes, a qulittaq is the Inuit winter outer layer men wear with the fur facing out usually made of caribou. It does have hoods irl, but the Northern Water Tribe has more Siberian and Mongolian influence where they do wear hoodless outer layers and hats, could not find a name to save my life. Katara probably wouldn't know the name either so that's what I'm going with. An atigi is the winter inner layer also made of caribou but with the fur facing inward. And yes, you do need to get the snow off/keep caribou fur dry or it'll lose fur or mold etc. 
> 
> World War 1 is when armies started using metal tags to identify soldier so if the Fire Nation has tanks which came about during WW1, they can definitely have dog tags. We know in canon the Fire Nation does cremation, but I imagine most members of the navy would want their ashes spread at sea. 
> 
> Also, don't think about Zuko getting told he has his bloodline building a base for his talent in firebending so why can't he just do it correctly. I really think the knowledge that Azula works just as hard as him despite her luck is like the only thing he has to hold onto. I know in canon Zuko gets more about his honor and destiny compared to Yue who gets duty (even Aang gets more of it as the Avatar), but I imagine it's pretty up there for him as it would have been a sense of duty causing him to want to enter the war room and to speak up for the 41st division once there. Also, Aang's destiny and duty as the Avatar are very intertwined so it can be seen as the same for Zuko and Yue anyways. So yeah, seeing someone not doing their duty probably is an issue for Zuko.
> 
> There are some Inuit who have done metalworking (one group literally gets called Copper Inuit), but they're in the minority. If you live in a region with permafrost you're just not going to be digging that deep. Also, I think Zuko totally knows the technology thing is bullshit, something he has been told to tell others, but he's not in a place where he can be challenged on it or let it go enough to lose an argument. 
> 
> And then there's some stuff about how the characters get to where they're at for s2e1 rather than them just being the devil and angel on Aang's shoulders. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we start in an ok place, but then it gets worse. I also don't know what's up with these chapters getting significantly longer, but hey, we're finished now.

Katara continues to train with Aang under Master Pakku behind the palace with Zuko and Sokka watching. At first, it doesn’t seem like Sokka really cares that much about Zuko watching them practice. Then Sokka slowly spends more and more time goading Zuko and making promises to beat the other as soon as Zuko is well enough to spar. Zuko falls for it every time to snap back at her brother and stop watching practice. Katara quickly learns to tune them out to focus on her own practice.

A week passes with Aang finally showing marked improvement in his waterbending. Katara herself continues in her own steady progress with Master Pakku remarking that she would likely be able to call herself a master soon. Then Sokka has to go and get them up early the day Zuko is well enough to be able to start sparring again.

“Let’s go,” he says, mushing Katara and Aang along. “I want to make him eat his words.”

“I don’t know, Sokka,” Aang says with a slight smile. “He’s not very good against airbending, but he’s pretty good otherwise. I think he’ll be able to take you.”

“No way, I’ve learned a lot since I last fought him,” he insists, leading the way into the palace.

They find Zuko and Master Pakku waiting for them at the entrance to the palace.

“I didn’t realize you’d be so excited to be knocked flat,” Zuko says as Sokka approaches.

“At least wait until we’re in the garden,” Master Pakku says, turning away and expecting everyone to follow. “I don’t remember being this rambunctious as a youth.”

“That’s a lie. You’re a master. There’s no way you weren’t clamoring for every sparring opportunity you could get,” Zuko says.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ve gotten so old I’ve forgotten,” he says in a tone that’s clearly meant to annoy Zuko.

“You’re worse than Uncle,” he complains.

Master Pakku and Aang begin their practice in waterbending, but Katara decides she can watch the first round of Zuko’s and Sokka’s spar. At least to laugh at Zuko if nothing else.

They pick a spot some yards away, and Zuko does a few little jumps and shakes out his arms before getting into an opening stance. Sokka doesn’t do anything beside get into position and put his hands up.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Zuko says.

“I’m ready,” Sokka answers.

Sokka throws the first punch which Katara hadn’t expected Zuko would allow him to do. He let Sokka advance and dodged his attacks rather than blocking or counter attacking. When he did make his move, he targeted Sokka’s legs, weakening his root before delivering a solid punch to his chest to knock him down.

Zuko drops out of his stance, assured in his quick victory over Sokka. “You’re better than I thought you’d be, I’ll give you that.”

“Shut up,” Sokka snaps as he gets back to his feet and brushes snow off himself. “Two out of three.”

“How come you don’t fight like you bend?” Katara asks, interrupting them from their next round. Part of Master Pakku’s teachings had been how to handle opponents that came in too close, explaining which moves could be done without water. None of Zuko’s attacks looked like what Katara remembered from his bending though.

Zuko frowns at her. “They’re two different things. Why would I treat them the same?”

“Plenty of waterbending moves can be used for hand to hand combat,” she says.

Zuko looks like he’s suspicious of whether that was true or not. “I guess you could do that with firebending if you wanted to, but it’s not a great idea.”

“Why’s that?” she asks.

Zuko considers it, like he’s weighing the cost of telling her something about firebending. “Sozin’s Style is designed to succeed through overwhelming offensive force. When you don’t have fire to amplify that force as well as keep opponents at a distance, that overly offensive style of tactics can easily be mitigated and turned against you. So you don’t use it if you’re not bending.”

“Sozin’s Style?” Sokka asks. “As in your great-grandfather’s style?”

“Yes, he made it specifically for the army, and they’re the only ones that really use it at least in its purest form,” he answers. “A lot of people get training outside of the army though.”

“Seems dumb having two styles one with bending and one without bending when you could use one for both,” Sokka says.

Zuko frowns. “If you want to have an argument about it, talk to my uncle. Do you want to spar or not?”

“Let’s spar,” he says, putting his hands up again.

Katara watches a few more rounds between them. Zuko wins every round, always letting Sokka take the first move. She gets the sense that Zuko is studying and testing Sokka rather than solely focused on defeating him. When she’d fought Zuko with bending, he always had an air of angry frustration. It’s gone when he spars with Sokka. Somehow, Zuko seems more confident without his bending than with it which is so backwards from every other bender she’s ever seen, herself included. She shrugs it off and returns to her own training.

In the evenings, they begin discussing when they should leave for the Earth Kingdom to continue Aang’s training, and where in the Earth Kingdom. The worst of the siege has been dealt with at this point, in terms of injuries and rebuilding. Katara has nearly completed her training, and she would be able to continue teaching Aang waterbending once they leave. 

They go to speak to Chief Arnook about their travel plans, and he shakes his head when they finish their explanation.

“What’s wrong?” Sokka asks.

“I had hoped we would have more time to decide things,” he says.

“Decide what?” Katara asks.

“How to handle Crown Prince Zuko,” he says, folding his hands behind his back. “Master Pakku has expressed interest in going south to help our sister tribes which makes keeping Crown Prince Zuko here more difficult. We intended to launch that mission when you were ready to leave, to travel in numbers at least until you reach the Earth Kingdom.”

“Why would that be a problem?” Katara asks. “It doesn’t have to be Master Pakku that watches him. Can’t any waterbender guard him?”

Sokka makes a face, and Chief Arnook shakes his head.

“Sokka and Master Pakku have both expressed concerns that Crown Prince Zuko is planning to attempt an escape, watching the guards patrol and how ships enter and leave the city for examples,” the chief explains. “We’re still not certain how he managed to enter the city on his own, but it seems as if he has stayed thus far due to master Master Pakku’s influence.”

“Influence?” she asks skeptically.

“You’ve seen how he talks to him,” Sokka points out.

“Zuko can be really sneaky when he wants to be. If he wants to escape, he’ll probably be able to do it,” Aang says.

“But we don’t know that he’ll be able to survive the attempt. You saw what happened after he got Aang. He nearly died then,” Sokka says.

“That’s why we are concerned,” Chief Arnook says with a frown. “After having this opportunity to observe him, we have decided the prince isn’t wrong. We aren’t in position to topple the Fire Nation, that’s why we’re isolationist, but having him on the throne does seem to be the better option between him and his sister. This has created a multitude of problems for us. The most troublesome one is that the Fire Lord named him a traitor in response to their loss here which has decreased his chances of attaining the throne.”

Aang frowns. “Does Zuko even know he’s been made a traitor? That’s a big deal in the Fire Nation. Can he even become Fire Lord after that?”

“We are aware which is why we have not informed him yet. Even if Prince Zuko has been removed from the line of succession by his father, we’re not certain he can be counted entirely out. He could contest his father or his sister to rule. The issue is simply that we are not in position to make use of him in such a manner. We can’t support him in a contest against the Fire Lord,” he explains. “But we could assist the Earth Kingdom in doing so.”

“How would that work?” Sokka asks.

“They have the manpower to back him to replace his father or sister, and we have been able to get a few messages through to them recently with the Fire Nation fleet in retreat. They are in agreement with us and willing to try with our support in breaking through the Fire Nation’s naval defenses. General Fong commands the outpost nearest to the Northern Water Tribe, and he has agreed to host both the Avatar and the prince. Replacing the Fire Lord would be a far easier feat than defeating the Fire Nation outright, but only if we can either convince or force Prince Zuko to end the war after being installed. Being named a traitor could work in our favor in that case. It could break whatever loyalty Prince Zuko has left for the Fire Lord and if it does not, he has no one else to turn to for support from the Fire Nation. We just need to be careful in how we deliver the news.”

“I’m not sure there is a good way to tell him,” Aang says, sounding worried.

“No one wishes to be named traitor or blamed for mistakes that aren’t theirs,” Chief Arnook says in agreement. “It would be easier if we could convince him to our side or at least strike a bargain with him, that there’s nothing for him in escaping or returning to the Fire Nation. It will end our concerns for any attempt of escape and allow us to transport him to the Earth Kingdom. It will be less pleasant if we have to force him.”

Katara shares a look with her brother. She’s not sure what he’s thinking, but she’s getting the feeling that Zuko’s being treated like a chunk of ice in bare hands, trying to drop it before you get frost bite. Not even the Fire Lord wants him.

“What if you just take him to the Earth Kingdom without telling him anything about being named traitor?” Sokka asks. “He wouldn’t have a chance to get upset then. You could just tell him it’s safer for him in the Earth Kingdom.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Aang says in a worried tone. “He could get mad at the Northern Water Tribe for not telling him.”

“We’d also lose what leverage we have both over Prince Zuko and the Earth Kingdom if we let him leave like that,” Chief Arnook says. “If we don’t tell him he has been named traitor, there’s no reason for him to see us as his only way to return to the throne. Neither Prince Zuko nor the Earth Kingdom would have to take our concerns into consideration if we merely pass him over to Earth Kingdom hands.”

“Are you going to be sending some of your men with him?” Katara asks. “How else could you be sure Zuko or the Earth Kingdom keeps their word after you send him there?”

He nods. “That’s another reason we wished for more time. We are nowhere near decided on who we should send in such a scenario. They’d have to act as both guards and diplomats. We are unfortunately lacking in diplomats.”

“With that many people, I guess this would be easiest to do when we leave if there’s also a group continuing on to the Southern Water Tribe,” Sokka says.

“Precisely,” Chief Arnook says with a nod. “We believe our ships would be safer if they traveled together with you. One ship of benders may have difficulty bringing down a Fire Navy vessel, but two have a much better chance.”

“I wish we could give you more time, but Aang needs an earth bending teacher, soon,” Katara says. “You’re going to have to tell Zuko fast.”

Chief Arnook sighs. “It will be done. You are welcome to attend if you wish seeing as you will be doing us the favor of helping to escort him if this all goes well.”

“We’ll be there,” Sokka assures him.

The meeting to tell Zuko he’d been named traitor and would be moved to the Earth Kingdom looks much like the one where they had interrogated him. The elders and Chief sat on high while Katara sat with Sokka and Aang on the side of the room. Zuko arrives without chains, but waterbenders still accompany him. He bows and kneels down as he had the time before. He waits silently without even asking what this meeting is for. Katara wonders what he thinks this is all about.

It’s quiet enough that they all hear Chief Arnook take in a breath before speaking. “You have been a respectful guest while you have been here, but through no fault of your own we do not believe that you can stay here.”

Zuko frowns, but doesn’t speak.

“We believe that our environment is poorly suited to your health as a firebender, and that our allies to our south in the Earth Kingdom will make for better hosts.”

Chief Arnook pauses. Katara watches as Zuko grows more suspicious.

“Another contributing factor to our decision is that the Fire Lord was disappointed with the results of the Siege here. As Admiral Zhao has gone missing-,”

“He’s not missing. He’s dead,” Zuko interrupts. “He was killed by the Ocean Spirit.”

Silence reigns again, and some of the elders look ready to tell Zuko off for interrupting, but Chief Arnook holds up his hand to stop them. “In his absence,” he continues on levelly, “It appears you and your uncle have been blamed. You have both been named traitors.”

Zuko stares at the chief with wide eyes, like he didn’t think it was possible even after being banished. Katara looks to Aang to see what he thinks of Chief Arnook’s delivery as she has no idea if that was a good way or not to handle it, but he’s looking down and away from Zuko. She can’t see his face at all.

“We believe that there is still a chance for you to claim the throne if you seek the support of our allies in the Earth Kingdom. Necessarily, we’d wish for you to hold true to your words and prove yourself different than your father and end this senseless war after hosting you, keeping you safe and fed during your time of need.”

“Claim the throne?” Zuko asks sharply. “Do you even know what you’re asking?”

“To replace your father, of course,” an elder says, unmoved by his tone. “It is the natural order of things for a son to take his father’s place.”

“The last time we had a succession crisis, half my family died or disappeared,” Zuko says, and he sounded barely restrained now. “I’m not interested.”

Another elder waves him off, “Bah, don’t give us that. Do not pretend as if you and your nobility care for family. You’d rip each other to shreds for power. There’s a reason your father is called the Usurper.”

Zuko flinches, but Katara’s not sure anyone else noticed. She hadn’t realized that the Fire Lord had an epithet like that. She wonders how he earned it. 

Zuko says, “I thought I was meant to be proving I was different from my father, but I guess only in ways that benefit you.”

The elder prepares to yell at Zuko, but Chief Arnook shoots him a sharp look. “Calm yourself.”

Chief Arnook lets the silence last for a few moments for some of the tension to drain away. Katara watches the elders resettle themselves, but Zuko remains tense. Cheif Arnook then says, “Surely you still desire the throne, Crown Prince Zuko. This may be your only opportunity now that you have been named a traitor by your father.

“Not at that price,” Zuko says, nearly hissing in his anger. “I wish to return to my father’s good graces, _not_ fight him or my people.”

The silence returns. Katara’s not sure what anyone expected. Zuko had protected his people before. Of course that would be a concern for him when fighting for the throne. It’s that he wants to please his father that concerns her. He disagrees with him, but not enough to fight against him. He doesn’t want his sister in power, but he won’t fight his father or people for that power. She decides he really isn’t how Chief Arnook had described the Fire Nation royal family. He isn’t power hungry enough to ignore the cost to his family or his people. She doesn’t think he’s good, he clearly doesn’t get the harm done to people aside from his own, but he’s not that. It’s not something she wanted to know about him.

“Yes, you will need to fight your father, but if we lead an effective coup we could minimize bloodshed,” an elder says.

Zuko scoffs, “That plan is as stupid as it is ineffective. You would just get everyone involved in the attempt killed.”

“Not with the Avatar involved,” another elder points out. “It would also be a combined attack from the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom which the Fire Nation has not faced before. The Avatar will surely be able to make up any difference.”

Zuko looks at Aang again with that vicious anger. Aang quickly looks away. Zuko turns back to the elders and says, “No.”

“Why not?” a different elder asks. “We have been your benefactor these past few weeks. We are offering you allies and a chance to claim your throne with minimal casualties. If you refuse this, what is left for you?”

“Because it’s foolish,” Zuko retorts stubbornly. “I refuse.”

“Crown Prince Zuko,” Chief Arnook says calmly, lowering the tension again, “You have expressed your disagreement with your father’s tactics. You saw the results of his decisions upon your men and upon yourself. If your concern is for your people, what do you believe will happen to them if you stand aside to let your father continue to rule and your sister after him?”

Zuko scowls at him like he’s mad Chief Arnook has noticed where his concerns lie and said it out loud. Chief Arnook hadn’t even needed to hear Zuko yelling about duty to figure it out.

Chief Arnook continues, “Your father has already made his choice by naming you a traitor. We are offering to deliver you safely to our allies and their support to change how your people are ruled, how their lives are spent. What choice will you make, Crown Prince Zuko?”

“Whatever my father or sister do as rulers, it cannot be worse than a coup attempt or triggering a civil war. Nor do I intend to sacrifice myself for the benefit of other nations. I will not do it.”

Katara can barely believe what she’s hearing. This was more than just valuing his people. He was actively rejecting whatever value he might have left to the Water Tribe. Did he want to get kicked into the sea?

“Zuko,” Chief Arnook says, and Katara realizes this is the first time he has addressed him without his title. “We do not require your approval or permission. We will be backing the Avatar. We will be supporting the Earth Kingdom more actively. There is every possibility that we will be able to launch a successful coup against your father and if necessary, your sister. The only benefit you would bring is stability afterwords, a continuity to the ruling family, if you will. The only ones who stand to gain from you accepting our offer is your own people. The Fire Nation falling into a civil war is certainly no concern of ours. Do you accept our offer of support in ending this war?”

Zuko glares at them with all the fury he’d once shown Aang, clenching his jaw so hard it looked as if he was trying to break his own teeth. Katara notices the room seems to be getting lighter, and turns to see all the lamps in the room flaring higher and brighter than they would just from oil. Some of the elders flinch away from the lamps nearest them, others glare down at Zuko, but Chief Arnook meets Zuko’s glare with a placid face. She wonders if Zuko’s trying to show he’s not completely cowed by their arguments, not completely powerless in their icy domain. She doesn’t know if it’s working or not with the way the waterbenders guarding Zuko tense to prepare to bend. If he was harmless, wouldn’t they stay still? 

Then Zuko moves quickly, grabbing his hair in one hand then using the other to burn through it in a single motion. He holds out the bundle of tied hair in front of him.

“I accept your offer,” he says then burns the hair in his hand to ashes.

Katara wrinkles her nose at the smell.

“Excellent,” Chief Arnook says, and the lamps all settle into their previous brightness. “Now we may discuss the logistics.”

Chief Arnook and the other elders then explain their plan to getting Zuko to the Earth Kingdom along with the Avatar’s official departure and the envoy being sent to the Southern Water Tribe. After they’ve finished, Zuko leaves the meeting first with the waterbenders escorting him out. Katara leaves with Sokka and Aang after him. They stay out in the hall while Zuko and the waterbenders continue on.

“That could have gone worse, I guess,” Aang says cautiously. “He only got upset.”

“Only got upset?” Sokka asks. “He burned off his hair and threatened everyone with the lamps. That seems like more than just getting upset.”

“That’s what you do in the Fire Nation when you’re named a traitor,” he says. “It’s like he said the Fire Lord is right, he really is a traitor. He accepted the Water Tribe’s offer so he had to cut off his hair. Also, he’s a firebender. Fire gets bigger around them when they’re upset. I don’t think he meant to do that.”

“Really? You would give him that benefit of the doubt?” Katara asks. “I know he accepted the offer, but it doesn’t seem right. He says no again and again then Chief Arnook says we don’t need him, and he rolls over? Zuko never does that.”

“I don’t believe him,” Sokka says. “He’s just protecting himself. He could tell it was getting dangerous for him if he kept saying no. I plan to keep watching him all the way to the Earth Kingdom.”

“I’m not worried about that,” she says. “I think he cares about his people and his duty so he might go through with it all, but he doesn’t care about us. He doesn’t know anything about us or the Earth Kingdom. He sees what his father has done wrong according to his own standards, but his standards don’t include us. You heard what he said about the raids, that it’s to share technology or whatever. This is why we talked about the council idea.”

“You’re right. We’d have to get rid of anyone like Zhao before any council would work, too,” Sokka agrees with a nod. “Still, Chief Arnook was right. The other option is just defeating the Fire Nation outright, and that’s what we’ve been trying to do this whole time, and it hasn’t worked. Getting Zuko a council has to be easier than defeating the entire army.”

“Maybe just a different kind of hard,” Katara says, crossing her arms. “You remember what Chief Arnook said? They don’t have diplomats. We don’t really have anyone in the South who could do it either. So far the only option we’ve come up with is Aang.”

“I don’t think I’d be that great of an option,” Aang says miserably. “I don’t have any training in diplomacy or being in court. I knew some of the monks who trained to serve as spiritual advisers to the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom courts, but not enough to serve in that role. That training usually started when you were older.”

“We have some time,” Sokka says, making a motion with his hands like he wanted everyone to calm down. “Besides, we’re going back to the Earth Kingdom. Maybe we can find someone who can do the job there and hold things together until the Water Tribes and Aang can help them. We also have some time to beat more into Zuko’s head about what’s wrong with the war.”

“I don’t want to talk to him about the war,” she says, touching her mother’s necklace. She knows Zuko doesn’t understand the other countries’ hurts, but she can’t tell that story to him, give that information to their enemy.

The elders exit in clumps, giving them greetings as they pass. Chief Arnook comes out last with a very strange look on his face.

“Is there something wrong?” Sokka asks him.

Chief Arnook looks them over then says, “Just a very strange comment. One of the elders mentioned that had my daughter lived we could have married her to Prince Zuko to ensure his loyalty as the Earth Kingdom has traditionally done.”

“What?” Katara snaps at the same time as he brother. She can’t imagine how humiliated and horrified Yue would have felt to hear one of her elders offer her up to the enemy like that. How dare he? Zuko was dangerous, and Yue hadn’t even been trained to defend herself. 

Chief Arnook doesn’t take offense at their outburst. “I told him not to speak of such things, but I suspect that if the Earth Kingdom can find a woman of suitable birth to marry to Prince Zuko for such a purpose, they will do so.”

Katara gets offended on that girl’s behalf as well. No woman deserves to be married into that family, and she bets if she asks Zuko about his mother, she could prove it.

“You should start preparing for your trip. You leave at the end of the week,” he says, breaking off any chance of further arguments.

“I didn’t think being Avatar would be like this,” Aang says as they return to their little guest house. “I knew I’d have duties, but I didn’t think one would be escorting a prince.”

Sokka makes a face. “I don’t think anyone was expecting it for this particular prince.”

Katara prepares to leave by packing and squeezing every last moment of teaching out of her time with Master Pakku. She makes sure Aang does the same. She feels a little relieved to finally get on the Northern Water Tribe ship. There was something comforting about her sister tribe, but at the same time it felt unsettling with all the differences building up, all the ways it wasn’t home. In some ways, it was easier to keep traveling on to new and very different places than to stop and feel the homesickness.

The only problem she had was that Zuko was also on board. Even if he looks less intimidating without his ponytail and instead the fuzziness of new hair growth, his presence shifts the feeling of the ship from one of camaraderie to one of always being slightly on edge. The only comfort she can take is that the scowl on his face shows he senses it as well.

She can’t help but want to challenge him, shove him down for how he sticks out and makes everyone uncomfortable. It’s difficult to get a moment to speak to him with how he keeps close to Master Pakku. She lasts a day before deciding she doesn’t care about that.

She makes her move after dinner, when many have returned to their work to sail the ship. Aang has left to be with Appa, and Sokka has followed after the sailors like a polar bear-dog puppy, but Master Pakku remains seated with them. She turns to Zuko and says, “You’ve made a promise about what kind of Fire Lord you will be to the Chief.”

He looks her over, sizing her up before answering. “I have.”

“I want to know more. I want you to prove it,” she says, and when it seems like he might ignore her she adds, “I’m the daughter of a chief. I have my own people to worry about.”

Master Pakku looks between them in interest, content to see where they will take the conversation rather than interfere.

“What do you want me to do?” Zuko asks.

“Answer my questions,” she says.

He narrows his eyes, like he’s expecting some sort of trick. “Fine.”

“Have you lost anyone to the war? Someone you knew personally?” she asks, already knowing that he has from what little news the south received. The point wasn’t to get information from him, but to see his reaction.

Zuko clenches his jaw, but he still answers. “Yes.”

“Who?”

He doesn’t answer for a long moment then says, “My cousin.”

That’s not who she thought he would say. Still, she asks, “Were you close?”

“He was over a decade older than me, and he had duties to attend to.”

She assumes that means they weren’t that close. “When did he die?”

“Nearly five years ago.”

“Where?”

“Ba Sing Se.”

The dots disconnect for her as she remembers that Zuko is the crown prince of the Fire Nation. That the Siege of Ba Sing Se by the Dragon of the West ended because his son had been killed by Ba Sing Se’s highly skilled earthbenders had been big enough news to reach them though it had reached them months later. They had also been told Fire Lord Azulon had died soon after and a new Fire Lord named Ozai had been crowned. She had never learned the Dragon of the West’s name from the little news they received, as if his title was all that mattered, just known he was going to be the next Fire Lord as Azulon’s oldest son. When the next Fire Lord had been called Ozai, she had through that was the name of the Dragon of the West. Except Zuko calls the man who died at Ba Sing Se his cousin, not his brother.

She had gotten his family all wrong. When she had seen the older man, too old to be his father, traveling with Zuko and heard him call him uncle, she thought he had been his uncle on his mother’s side and that Zuko had been the second son of the Dragon of the West. So there was a reason for Fire Lord Ozai to be called a usurper.

“The uncle that was traveling with you, he’s your father’s older brother?”

Zuko gives her a look like she’s dumb, and she tells herself she’s only misinformed. “Yes,” he answers, “General Iroh, son of Fire Lord Azulon and Lady Ilah, Prince of the Fire Nation, and the Dragon of the West.”

“I thought the oldest son inherits the throne,” she says, “Why did your father become Fire Lord if he’s the younger son?”

Master Pakku nods at the question, approving of her asking, and watches Zuko for his response. Did he know the answer already?

Zuko scowls. “Fire Lords can choose their heirs. Father says he was crowned because Uncle abandoned the siege and lacked any heirs so Grandfather chose him instead.”

“You disagree with what your father says?” Master Pakku asks, keeping his tone perfectly even.

“Grandfather died and Uncle went on a spiritual journey rather than coming home. Who could argue against that?”

“What about your mother or your aunt?” Katara asks, not sure what his mother or aunt could do. Her own mother had held weight when she lived, and her grandmother does the same now. Princess Yue had held less. The Fire Nation, however, had female warriors. Surely, his mother could have said something if his father had done something wrong. Then again, she’s never heard anything about a Fire Lady, ever.

“My aunt died years before, and my mother wasn’t there,” he says, looking away.

“And she didn’t say anything when she came back?”

“She hasn’t come back,” he snaps then asks, “What does any of this matter to you?”

She gives him the truth. “I wanted to know if you had any idea of what other people have gone through because of this war your people are waging. Aang’s lost all of his people, every single one. Sokka and I have lost family to this war. We’ve seen so many families in the Earth Kingdom that have lost people to the war or been hurt by it or lost everything. I wanted to be sure you knew what this war costs people.”

“I know what this war has cost. I spent a week cremating the bodies of my people who all died for Zhao’s pride,” he retorts.

“Then why say all that about technology when you know it’s not helping anyone? Why support the war at all?”

“I agreed to end it, didn’t I?” he says. “You shouldn’t be so worried about what I think.”

“Why not? We’re going to be putting you on that throne.”

He shakes his head. “Doubtful.”

“Perhaps you are underestimating us,” Master Pakku says.

“No, I don’t think I am.”

She glares at him, but he just ignores her. Did he agree just to watch them fail? She avoids him after that, figuring the men sent to guard him and whoever they’re meeting in the Earth Kingdom will have more time to do a better job than she could on setting him straight about the war and ending it. She prefers to spend her time with her brother and Aang.

It takes a few days to reach the Earth Kingdom coast. Master Pakku gives Katara and Aang parting gifts before they part from the main ship that’s continuing on to the Southern Water Tribe. Aang flies Appa directly over the smaller ship with Zuko and his guards.

“There it is!” Sokka says excitedly the moment the fortress they are to meet their Earth Kingdom ally, General Fong, comes into view around the curve of the seaside mountain.

They hover above the docks as the ship is allowed access to the fortress’ docks. Once everyone is ashore, they fly into the fortress itself to wait for the rest of the group.

“Welcome, Avatar Aang. I am General Fong” the general says in greeting once they’ve landed. He and his men bow to them. “And welcome to all of you great heroes; Appa, Momo, brave Sokka, the mighty Katara.”

“Mighty Katara?” she asks, crossing her arms. “I like that.”

She startles as fireworks begin going off above the fort.

“Not bad, not bad,” Sokka says appreciatively.

“It looks like it’s pretty nice here,” Aang says.

The general guides them into his audience chamber to wait for the other half of the group to join them. He makes small talk with them while they want, and servants offer them tea. Zuko and the water tribesmen eventually join them. Zuko looks angry just to be here, and sticks out even more as a firebender in Water Tribe clothes in an Earth Kingdom fortress. It’s a combination that just shouldn’t happen.

“What are you so mad about?” Sokka asks him.

Zuko sends him a sharp look. “The Earth Kingdom is known for crushing firebenders’ hands.”

“They don’t do that,” Aang says, looking shocked and nervous.

“Oh, so I guess I must have been imagining things when I had to save my uncle from getting his hands crushed by a giant rock,” he snaps at him.

This wasn’t rumor, he’d seen it. Then Katara realizes that Zuko’s scar wasn’t just what his face looked like, but the result of a wound he had taken to his eye. Her burnt hands had been so painful, and she can’t imagine that pain over her eye. He out of all of them knows the most about severe injuries, knows what to expect when threatened with it.

Aang looks at her with those puppy-seal eyes again.

“You’re our ally now,” Sokka says, though he sounds a little pained to say it. “They’re not going to do it to you.”

“Welcome,” General Fong says, but his greeting is much more stiff than it had been for their group. “Please sit so that we may begin.”

Zuko immediately straightens up, raising his head and wiping his anger from his face. He somehow manages to look like a prince again despite the peach fuzz growing on his head. She catches Sokka straightening up to match him in height while walking to where they’d been told to sit.

They all sit towards the center of the room while General Fong sits at the front of the grand room behind his large desk. Zuko sits with his legs under him like he had in front of the water tribe council while the rest of them sit cross legged.

“Avatar Aang, we were all amazed at the stories of how you singlehandedly wiped out an entire Fire Navy fleet at the North Pole. I can’t imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power. It’s an awesome responsibility,” General Fong says while stroking his beard.

“I try not to think about it too much,” Aang says lightly.

“Avatar, you’re ready to face the Fire Lord now.”

“What?” Aang asks, shocked. “No, I’m not.”

“Aang still needs to master all four elements,” Katara points out.

“Why?” he asks. “With the kind of power he possesses, power enough to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes, he could defeat the Fire Lord right now.”

“It’s not his power,” Zuko says, tone stern. “It was the Ocean Spirit that destroyed that fleet. You will not be able to recreate that kind of power.”

General Fong turns to Zuko, his expression tight. “Prince Zuko. I am aware that you have agreed to an alliance with the Northern Water Tribe and intend to seek the same here, but you have yet to prove yourself honest and committed to our cause. Forgive me if I do not take you at your word yet on these matters.”

“He’s telling the truth,” Aang says. “It really was mostly the Ocean Spirit.”

For a split second, General Fong looks angry to have been corrected. Then he smooths out his expression and turns back to Aang. “But you still possess the Avatar State, don’t you? Your eyes and tattoos glow and you're able to summon unbelievable power. Without you, we'd be slaughtered before we even reach their shores. But with you leading the way, as the ultimate weapon, we could cut a swath right through to the heart of the Fire Nation.”

Katara doesn’t like where this is headed.

“Right, but I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar State, much less what to do once I'm there,” Aang says, dubiously. 

“So, it's decided then. I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar State and then you'll face your destiny,” General Fong says like this was all fine.

Katara gets to her feet, Sokka and Aang rising with her, “No, nothing's decided. We already have a plan. Aang's pursuing his destiny his way.”

“Well, while you take your time learning the elements, the War goes on. May I show you something?” General Fong gestures for Aang to join him. Aang sighs and follows him over to the room’s window outlooking the interior of the fortress. “That's the infirmary, and those soldiers are the lucky ones. They came back. Every day, the Fire Nation takes lives. People are dying, Aang! You could end it, now. Think about it.”

Katara can’t see the men from where she stands, but she can imagine them, bandaged up to cover burns. Aang looks upset and guilty when he returns to them. General Fong dismisses them.

“I’ve seen generals like that before,” Zuko says as they’re leaving the room. “He doesn’t care about you or his people, only his victory. I suggest you leave.”

“Do you mean that or are you just trying to protect your father?” Sokka asks.

“You find my motives suspicious?” he asks. “I’m not the one suggesting sending a twelve year old to his death at my father’s hand, and trust me, you won’t win any mercy from him with your age.”

Aang grimaces. 

“Keep it to yourself, Zuko,” Katara tells him, grateful when the Earth Kingdom soldiers guide Zuko and his guards to a different area of the fortress for their quarters and away from them.

Aang, against Katara’s advice, decides to follow General Fong’s plan to learn the avatar state and glow it up. It takes her forever to get to sleep with how angry she is over this whole situation. How is it only Zuko that was on her side?

She wakes to the sound of the fortress’ alarm ringing. Aang gets to the door before her or Sokka. “What’s going on?” he asks the first guard that passes their room.

“Prince Zuko escaped!” he answers without stopping.

Sokka smacks his forehead, Aang deflates, and Katara finds herself more pissed than before.

“We should have seen that coming,” Aang says, tiredly.

“What’s he even planning on doing?” Sokka asks. “He’s left you behind, if that even matters since he’s now a traitor, and now he doesn’t even have the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe at least attempting to ally with him.”

“Good riddance,” Katara decides.

It’s one less complication for them, even if only for the moment. Whether or not they find Zuko, what happens after they defeat Fire Lord Ozai is going to be problem with no easy solutions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't it fun watching a bunch of adults bully a 16 year old into agreeing to something he sees as guaranteed to get him killed? Zuko totally says yes just to get a chance to escape once in the Earth Kingdom because he definitely thinks even with combined forces and the Avatar, they won't be successful at a coup. He also doesn't want to be coerced into actually betraying his family and people, but is totally going to see his agreement with the NWT as a betrayal anyways. Him cutting off his hair here is different than in the show because in the show he could more easily claim he was forced into it to be able to hide from Azula, but he hasn't taken any action against his father. With the NWT though even if he was coerced into it, he's going to see it as giving his word to betray his father and he's someone who cares about keeping his word. So he's off to go find his uncle before Azula finds either of them. 
> 
> I like the Sozin's Style headcanons as I think they make sense for them to create a standard bending style with a formal military force, a basic training type of style, but because of bending's cultural importance other styles still exist and people with the means to learn them do and then argue about them. I think even Iroh even before his spiritual journey would have found Sozin's Style lacking on the spirituality and flexibility front. Also, the description of Sozin's Style is based on Northern Shaolin kung fu the real world martial art style firebending is based on which is considered an aggressive style combined with literal fire power. I know kung fu is hand to hand, but I think it would be reasonable in a world with bending for people to go this is too easily countered without flames because it really would be compared to using it with flames. 
> 
> Also, Zuko's counting Lu Ten, Azulon, and Ursa as the half of his family he lost in a succession crisis which really is half his family. This is why I have a problem with how the show ends when it comes to discussing Ozai's death because if he doesn't die, there's going to be another succession crisis and the last one was already so bad for Zuko why would he not bring it up? Also, if Katara did talk to Zuko about his mom, he would probably agree no one should be marrying into his family and also political marriage is terrible for women which is definitely what Ursa's marriage to Ozai was. 
> 
> This kinda ended up being less difference in politics between NWT and EK and more difference in points in everyone's character arcs. It felt a little like mashing their end of s1 positions with how they react to Zuko when he joins up in s3 except Zuko has done them less harm at this point, but he's also more angry and not interested in joining them/rejecting his father. I think this would also change more of s2 and s3 than I predicted it would when I started out writing this, but this isn't a rewrite, just a little what if for the end of s1. 
> 
> So that's that. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!


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